ABSTRACT
In 1898, S. J. “Mack” McCray, along with one of his sons, published the life story of a beloved wife and mother, Mary Frances “Fannie” McCray, with the title Life of Mary F. McCray. Born and Raised a Slave in the State of Kentucky. 1 Written four years after McCray’s death, these two men provide an account of her birth in 1837, her life during slavery, her calling to Christian ministry, and her evangelistic efforts during the latter part of her life. While an unnamed son is credited as a co-author in the frontispiece of this narrative, it is the voice of Mack McCray and his interpretation of his wife’s life that animates this biography. Mack McCray characterizes his wife as a Christian saint, an exemplar of a holy and righteous life whom the reader should be encouraged to emulate. A woman who occupies the lowest social and economic rungs of her society, by virtue of her race, gender, and former slave status, is elevated to sainthood through the careful and deliberate reconstruction and retelling of her life within this slave narrative.
